ROSWELL, GA.—Kimberly-Clark Filtration Products has become an Energy Star Partner. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that helps businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. Kimberly-Clark Filtration Products will use its Energy Star Partnership as part of its efforts to help commercial, institutional and industrial facilities improve their heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system energy performance. Kimberly-Clark Filtration Products supplies HVAC system air filter media with lower pressure drops than conventional air filtration media, which translates into reduced energy costs to operate the...

ALSIP, ILL.—Litetronics International introduces its Micro-Brite BR30 cold cathode compact fluorescent lamps. These 8-watt bulbs directly replace incandescents up to 65 watts, saving as much as 88 percent in energy costs. Low-wattage Micro-Brite BR30 lamps deliver brighter, higher color temperature light while reducing energy consumption. Micro-Brite BR30 lamps are designed for indoor or outdoor use in table lamps, recessed cans, general area lighting, signage and most medium-based lighting fixtures. Cold cathode technology allows Micro-Brite BR30s full dimming and flashing without shortening the life of the bulb. The extended 18,000-hour life is 18 to 20 times longer than the...

HONG KONG—Accor Hotels has a strong track record as a trend setter, not a trend follower, in matters relating to the environment. Its first formal groupwide environmental management directive was issued in 1994, long before most hotel companies. The group created a full Environmental Charter in 1998, and increased the number of elements being managed from 15 to 65 in 2006. With all-important support and commitment of its owners, the Novotel Century Hong Kong, the first Accor-managed hotel in Hong Kong, already moved to live up to this tradition when, earlier this year, it became one of the...

OTTAWA, ONTARIO—A year and a half after launching its Green Key Eco-Rating program, the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) has rated more than 400 hotels and will soon have an additional 400 properties participating. Anthony Pollard, president of HAC, anticipates having 2,000 hotels on board by the end of 2007. With approximately 6,800 hotels in Canada, 2,000 properties would represent almost 30 percent of the total number. Even though there are other rating programs to choose from, hoteliers in Canada appear to have locked in on this one. Several factors are driving the program’s success. The first is...

CHICAGO—Preferred Hotel Group, which includes 350 hotels and resorts in more than 50 nations, recently recognized three of its members with its Preferred Pineapple Award for their exceptional efforts in the areas of environmental well-being. Through its recently launched program entitled “GIFTTS: Great Initiatives for Today’s (Tomorrow’s) Society”, the company initiated its Preferred Pineapple Award. The award was presented at the Preferred Hotel Group Annual Conference in Las Vegas last week. Additional members received Certificates of Excellence in recognition of their good works. “The purpose of GIFTTS is to provide a meaningful platform to showcase individual actions...

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—Watt Stopper/Legrand announces the ELCU-100 Emergency Lighting Control Unit, bringing energy savings to emergency lighting. Emergency lighting typically burns 24/7, and with recent changes to state and local building codes in major metropolitan areas, specifiers are having to devote more watts per square foot to emergency lighting than ever before. This new product allows building owners and operators to leverage the energy saving benefits of control devices such as occupancy sensors and time scheduled systems by having these devices control emergency lighting in tandem with non-emergency lighting. They can also be assured of enhanced response from...

PHILADELPHIA—ARAMARK Harrison Lodging (AHL) has been recognized with two prestigious awards for environmental stewardship. The 2006 Environmental Achievement Award was received from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and a 2006 Governor’s Pride in Arizona Award from Arizona Clean and Beautiful was also awarded. AHL, a division of ARAMARK, is a provider of meeting and recreational support services to conference and corporate training centers, specialty hotels, national and state parks, resorts and other tourist destinations throughout the United States. “Protecting natural resources is a vital part of our company’s service and commitment to our guests, employees...

AMERICAN CANYON, CALIF.—The Gaia Napa Valley, a hotel incorporating environmentally friendly building design and technology, has opened here. The 133-room hotel, set on four acres, was designed to appeal to ecotourists. The hotel is pursuing gold LEED certification. The hotel will use solar power, water-saving techniques and certified wood, harvested with the long-term health of forests in mind. A mural by world-renowned artist Yuan Lee reflects on the spirit, beauty and resources of nature in the Napa Valley and surrounding areas. The hotel’s half-acre lagoon has its own ecosystem and is surrounded by a lush garden with...

POULTNEY, VT.—In a state where it’s often theorized there are more cows than people, Green Mountain College believes it may now be the nation’s first cow-powered campus. The liberal arts college, which offers various courses in hospitality management, has just announced its enrollment in Central Vermont Public Service’s (CVPS) Cow Power program. Through it, the utility delivers energy created from burning biogas created from cow manure on Vermont dairy farms. This initiative helps the college do its part to address global warming by reducing its carbon emissions by approximately 3,500 metric tons per year, or the equivalent of...

LANSING, MICH.—Robert W. Swanson, director of the Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG), announced a new program aimed at environmental conservation and a more competitive lodging industry in Michigan. Green Lodging Michigan (GLM) encourages hotels, resorts, motels, and bed & breakfast facilities to implement environmental initiatives and cost-saving green practices to conserve energy, reduce water consumption, protect air quality, reduce waste, and participate in environmentally preferred purchasing. “It’s like the Good Housekeeping seal of approval of being green,” Swanson said. “It is the mark of environmental responsibility of hoteliers who show a commitment to green business practices and can...